WWE RAW Report – 7/15/2013

- Tonight’s WWE RAW opens up from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The pyro and fireworks go off. The lights go out and we get a drum roll. Out comes RAW General Manager Brad Maddox to introduce himself. The fans boo him. He says tonight is the beginning of the Maddox Era. His first official decision is to make Dolph Ziggler vs. Alberto Del Rio for tonight. Maddox says Vickie Guerrero was great but he’s determined to be the greatest General Manager of all-time. The music hits and out comes WWE Champion John Cena to a very mixed reaction.

Cena gets boo’d by the Brooklyn fans. Cena says this is the only time during the Maddox Era where the person Maddox is beside in the ring is more hated than him. Cena says we should give Maddox a chance as General Manager. Maddox says he’s glad Cena came out and he’s admired him since he was a teenager. Maddox says he’s going to allow Cena to pick his opponent for SummerSlam. Maddox is going to bring the roster out and let Cena pick his opponent. Cena goes on and out comes Randy Orton with his Money in the Bank briefcase.

Orton says there’s a chance Cena won’t even be champion at SummerSlam. Orton says he won’t cash in tonight because he’s not going to make the same mistake Cena did. Orton believes in taking advantage of opportunities and being straight up. Orton came to tell Cena face to face that when he cashes in, Cena will never see it coming. They are face to face when Fandango’s music hits. Out he comes with Summer Rae. The fans in Brooklyn do the Fandango dance. Fandango hushes Orton. He says the WWE Universe only wants to see Cena face one person and that person is Fandango. Fandango teaches Cena how to say his name. As he finishes, Orton lays him out. Fandango fights back and they brawl as Cena leaves the ring. Fandango kicks Orton out of the ring and the fans pop. Orton runs back in with a Thesz Press and more right hands. Orton sends Fandango to the floor. Maddox stops them and calls a referee out.

Fandango vs. Randy Orton

Back from the break and Orton is stomping away on Fandango. Orton with a big uppercut but he misses the knee drop. Fandango comes back but Orton blocks him with a suplex. Fandango goes to the floor but Orton follows and knocks him down. Fandango blocks a shot into the steel steps and goes back in. He goes out of the other side of the ring and Orton meets him with a clothesline. Orton back drops Fandango on the barrier.

Orton brings it back in the ring and whips Fandango into the corner. Orton runs into a big boot. Fandango chokes Orton with the middle rope. Fandango with a big right hand from the floor. Orton fights out of a hold and beats Fandango into the corner. Orton mounts Fandango with right hands in the corner. Orton with a dropkick for a 2 count. Orton stomps on Fandango’s hands now. Orton gets caught by a kick that sends him out to the floor. Fandango whips Orton hard into the steel steps. Fandango poses on top of the steps as we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and Fandango catapults Orton under the bottom rope for a 2 count. Orton comes back but Fandango counters him for another 2 count. They trade shots now. Orton with a clothesline in the corner and a t-bone suplex. Orton takes Fandango to the top for a superplex and nails it. Orton with a pair of clotheslines and a powerslam now. Fandango catches Orton with a kick to the head. Fandango goes to the top for the big leg drop but Orton cuts him off. Orton with headbutts. Orton hits a second rope draping DDT from the second turnbuckle. The crowd is really good tonight. Orton readies for the RKO and nails it for the win.

Winner: Randy Orton

- Orton celebrates with his briefcase as we go to the announcers. They hype tonight’s Ziggler vs. Del Rio rematch. We see stills from Money in the Bank where AJ Lee cost Dolph the match.

- Ziggler is backstage walking when AJ catches up with him. Ziggler tells her to stop apologizing because it’s time to move on. She hugs Ziggler but he doesn’t hug her back. He says she doesn’t understand, it’s time for him to move on from her. The crowd pops. Ziggler says they’re done and walks off, leaving AJ shocked.

- Back from the break and Mark Henry is making his way to the ring in a suit. We see stills from Henry vs. Cena at Money in the Bank. Henry says Cena came as advertised and calls him one of the greatest WWE Champions of all time. The fans boo. Henry says Cena did something he thought would be impossible – win. Henry says he gave it all he had and he took Cena to his limits. Henry says he came close to winning the title. A “you tapped out” chant starts. Henry says yeah he did. Henry says Cena would tap everyone of the fans too. Henry isn’t here to make excuses or apologies. A “sexual chocolate” chant starts next. Henry says Cena has the choice to pick his SummerSlam opponent and Henry wants to be that guy. The Shield’s music hits and out comes Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns and Dean Ambrose through the crowd.

The Shield surrounds the ring but Henry doesn’t budge. Henry takes off his coat and gets ready to fight. They hit the ring and beat him down. Henry fights them off but they come back. Ambrose with a sleeper. Reigns nails a big spear while Ambrose has the sleeper locked. They beat Henry down some more and hit the triple powerbomb. A “holy shit” chant breaks out as The Shield poses over Henry.

- Still to come, Ziggler vs. Del Rio. Back to commercial.

- Back from the break and Maddox is backstage on the phone with his mom. Apparently he still lives with his mom. Chris Jericho comes in and jokes on Maddox. Maddox thinks Jericho should impress Cena tonight so he might get the title shot. Maddox proposes Jericho vs. Rob Van Dam and the fans pop. Jericho says Maddox has a helluva future if he keeps making decisions like that. Jericho tells Maddox good job and walks off.

Dolph Ziggler vs Alberto Del Rio

We go to the ring and out comes World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio for this non-title match. Dolph Ziggler is out next.

Del Rio strikes first and beats Ziggler down. Ziggler comes back with a dropkick. More back and forth. Ziggler drops a bunch of elbow drops and covers for a 2 count. Ziggler misses a splash in the corner but Del Rio turns it around and works him over. Del Rio takes Ziggler to the top and slams him face first. 2 count for Del Rio. Del Rio with more stomps. Del Rio chokes Ziggler with the ropes now. Fans chant for Ziggler. Del Rio misses in the corner and Ziggler hits a big clothesline. Ziggler with a kick to the face. Del Rio dumps Ziggler to the floor out of nowhere. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and Del Rio is still in control. Del Rio goes for the superkick but misses. Ziggler comes back but Del Rio drops him on his face. Ziggler comes back again for a 2 count. They trade shots now. Del Rio drops Ziggler. Del Rio runs and misses the splash on the ropes, getting hung up. Ziggler with a dropkick to the shoulder and a close 2 count. Del Rio with a bunch of headbutts. Ziggler blocks the cross armbreaker but can’t get the pin. Del Rio sends Ziggler to the corner and hits a big kick to the head. Another pin attempt. Del Rio turns Ziggler upside down in the corner and works him over. Ziggler moves and Del Rio hits his shoulder on the ring post. Ziggler hits the big leg drop from the second rope and goes for a pin. All of a sudden the bell rings and distracts everyone. We see AJ at ringside with the bell. Ziggler yells at her. Del Rio lays Ziggler out with a big kick for the win.

Winner: Alberto Del Rio

- After the match, AJ comes in the ring and smacks Dolph. She starts wailing on him and screaming as he tries to hold her back. Ziggler turns around and gets ran over by Big E Langston. Big E hits the Book End and lays Ziggler out. AJ picks Ziggler’s head up, kisses him and pushes him back to the mat. AJ’s music hits as Big E looks on and stands over Ziggler. Big E and AJ leave together.

- Still to come, John Cena will pick his opponent for SummerSlam. Back to commercial.

- Back from the break and we see what happened during tonight’s opener.

- We go to the ring and out comes R-Truth. Truth grabs the mic but the lights flicker and Bray Wyatt appears on the big screen. We’re here, he says. Wyatt, Erick Rowan and Luke Harper make their way to the ring with the lantern lit. The lights come on and Rowan and Harper are already in the ring. They beat Truth down as Wyatt watches from a rocking chair at ringside. Wyatt enters the ring and says they’ve been lying to us, man. There’s no such thing as a hero. Wyatt goes on about heroes and what we believe in. Wyatt says everything is not alright. Truth comes back to the apron with a steel chair. Wyatt opens his arms and says he’s waiting. Rowan and Harper begin to surround Truth. Wyatt asks Truth what he’s waiting on. Truth gets distracted and Wyatt beats him down. Rowan and Harper join in. Wyatt grabs Truth, kisses him on the forehead and lays him out. Wyatt laughs as most of the crowd cheers. Wyatt says Truth is not the truth they seek. Wyatt tells Kane to follow the buzzards. The Wyatt Family poses as the lights go out and we go to a promo for the WWE App. Fans can vote on opponents for Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro.

We go to the ring and out comes Zeb Colter with Antonio Cesaro and Jack Swagger. Colter runs down New York City and the usual. Zeb wants Cena to choose either Cesaro or Swagger for the title shot. Jerry Lawler reveals the fans have chosen The Usos to face The Real Americans and out they come. Jey and Cesaro start off. Back and forth to start the match.

The end comes when Cesaro hits the Neutralizer but gets rolled up for the pin.

Winners: The Usos

- Still to come, Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Jericho. Back to commercial.

Damien Sandow vs. Christian

Back from the break and out comes Damien Sandow with his Money in the Bank briefcase. We see stills from last night’s match. Christian is out next.

The bell rings and Sandow strikes first. Sandow goes to the floor and Christian chases him around then back in. Sandow misses an elbow. Christian goes to the corner but Sandow blocks a tornado DDT and shoves Christian down to the floor. Sandow brings it back in and they fight up in the corner again. Christian with a big tornado DDT for a 2 count. Christian makes a comeback and mounts Sandow with right hands. Christian trips Sandow into the ropes and hits the big right hand from the floor. Christian comes back in and goes to the top. He nails the crossbody for a 2 count. Sandow with a cheap shot. Christian blocks a move and goes to the second rope for a forearm. Sandow blocks Killswitch and goes for the Elbow of Disdain but Christian counters it and rolls Sandow up for the win.

Winner: Christian

- After the match, Sandow takes the mic and brags on his briefcase. Cody Rhodes attacks him and they start brawling. Referees try to break it up as Sandow retreats to the floor and leaves through the crowd with his briefcase in the air. Fans chant for Cody.

- Still to come, Cena will pick his SummerSlam opponent. Back to commercial.

- Back from the break and we get a 1-800-FELLA commercial where Sheamus Brogue Kicks the hiccups out of some office worker.

- We see footage from earlier tonight where Vickie Guerrero was at the Barclays Center wanting fans to vote for her and sign a petition.

Brie Bella vs. Naomi

We go to the ring and Nikki Bella is at ringside as Brie waits in the ring. Out comes Naomi with Cameron.

Brie and Naomi lock up and go at it. Naomi ends up tossing Brie out to the floor. Brie fights back and trips Naomi on the apron. Brie comes back in for a 2 count. Brie with some stomps and another takedown. Brie chokes Naomi on the ropes now. Brie drops Naomi on her head for another pin attempt. Naomi makes a comeback but Brie sidesteps and she goes down. Brie with another hold. Naomi comes back and hits a hurricanrana and then a pair of dropkicks. Naomi with the Rear View. Naomi ends up getting the win after a big crossbody.

Winner: Naomi

- We see footage of Paul Heyman ignoring a WWE.com reporter’s questions about CM Punk last night. Back to commercial.

- Back from the break and out comes CM Punk to a huge pop.

Punk says he knows Paul Heyman and Brock Lesnar are in the building tonight. Punk also knows he’s not waiting anymore. He tells them to come out. Heyman comes out and speaks from the stage. He says he’s looking at an empty ring because in his world, Punk doesn’t exist. Heyman talks about how he saved Punk’s career in 2005. He talks about what they’ve done in the past year or so. Heyman says they were the best in the world. He says without Heyman, Punk isn’t the best in the world.

Heyman goes on and says Punk failed them when he couldn’t beat The Undertaker. Heyman says Punk returned and now thinks he’s better than Heyman. Punk is getting angry in the ring. Heyman laughs at the idea of Punk being better than him. Heyman says he lied and manipulated Punk, he played Punk. Heyman says history is going to show that Heyman dumped Punk, not the other way around. Heyman says Punk wanted to keep it personal so he made it as personal as he could. Heyman says Punk has no family, he’s estranged from his mother and father. Heyman says Punk has no wife or kids, all he has is the fans. Fans cheer. Heyman says all Punk has is the fans respect and admiration. Fans start chanting for Punk now. Heyman says Punk took away his best friend so he took away Punk’s shot at the WWE Title. Heyman goes on and says he betrayed Punk because Punk can’t beat Brock Lesnar. Punk takes his hoodie off and fans chant his name. Punk asks Heyman if he’s done. Punk says maybe he should have seen it coming but he trusted Heyman. All he has to show for it is 13 staples in his head. Punk says Heyman knows him better than anyone so Heyman knows he won’t stop until he gets what he wants. Punk says he’s going to get Heyman. This time, Punk swears on Heyman’s kids that he’s going to get him. Punk says he will get every one of Heyman’s associates, whoever profited or enjoyed what happened to him… Heyman’s friends, clients and family – Punk is going to hurt them all. Punk says Heyman has no future because he’s going to burn down everything around him until he’s the last man standing. Punk calls Heyman a son of a bitch. Heyman does the “it’s clobbering time” mock and out comes Brock Lesnar.

Heyman and Lesnar head towards the ring. Lesnar and Punk staredown while Lesnar is outside of the ring. Heyman enters the ring and attacks Punk from behind. Punk tumbles into Lesnar and they start brawling around the ring. Punk tries to keep up but Lesnar beats him around. Lesnar tosses Punk across the floor. Punk fights back with forearms and right hands but Lesnar just tosses him over the announcers table like it’s nothing. Punk leaps off the announce table but Lesnar grabs him and rams him into the ring post. Heyman tells Lesnar to beat Punk up some more. Fans start chanting for Punk. Lesnar drops Punk on top of the announce table with a F5. Lesnar climbs on top of the table and looks down at Punk. Lesnar’s music hits. He and Lesnar embrace before leaving together. Trainers are checking on Punk. He clutches his neck and pushes them away. Punk finally gets to his feet and the fans chant his name. Punk goes back down, clutching his neck. We go back to commercial.

- Back from the break and we see what just happened with Punk and Lesnar.

- We get a promo for Total Divas.

- WWE Champion John Cena is walking backstage. The Great Khali approaches him and says something we can’t understand.

- Brad Maddox walks up on Stephanie McMahon as she’s finishing a call. Maddox thinks his first night is going well. Triple H walks in. Triple H says he’s doing a good job, so far. They ask if Maddox has talked to Vince about his decisions yet. They hint at Cena picking Daniel Bryan, but never say his name, and say Vince probably wouldn’t like that, but they would. Triple H wishes him good luck and walks off.

Rob Van Dam vs. Chris Jericho

We go to the ring and out comes Rob Van Dam to a big pop. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and Chris Jericho makes his way out to another big pop. They lock up and go at it. Back and forth then they break. The fans applaud and RVD poses. A “you still got it” chant breaks out. RVD with a shoulder but Jericho connects with a dropkick. ECW chants break out now. RVD with a big roundhouse kick and the big catapult out of the corner. RVD with a standing moonsault for 2. Jericho turns it around with an enziguri. Jericho keeps it up and we go back to commercial.

Back from the break and they’re trading holds on the mat. Jericho goes for the Walls of Jericho but can’t get it. He sends RVD flying into the corner for a 2 count. More offense by Jericho. Jericho comes back with a big kick to the face and a 2 count. RVD with a body scissors now. Jericho turns that into a pin for 2. Jericho powers up and powerbombs RVD. Another 2 count for Jericho. Fans chant “this is awesome” now. RVD goes for Rolling Thunder but Jericho goes to the floor. RVD nails a moonsault from the floor. We go to commercial.

Back from the break and they’re going at it. Jericho drops RVD and hits the bulldog. Jericho misses a Lionsault as RVD moves out of the way. RVD nails Rolling Thunder for a 2 count. Jericho runs into an elbow but drops RVD with a big DDT. 2 count for Jericho. Jericho goes for the Walls again but it’s blocked. RVD with a superkick. RVD runs into a big boot in the corner. RVD sends Jericho flying crotch first into the corner. RVD misses the split legged moonsault. Jericho nails a Lionsault but RVD kicks out at 2. RVD drops Jericho with a big kick to the side of the head. RVD goes up top for the Five Star Frogsplash but Jericho cuts him off. Jericho climbs up for a superplex but RVD headbutts him to the mat. RVD nails the Frogsplash but Jericho barely kicks out at 2. Jericho blocks a hurricanrana and locks in the Walls of Jericho. RVD makes it to the ropes and breaks the hold. Jericho goes back to work on RVD’s leg. They trade shots and RVD hits another big kick to the face. RVD with a Five Star Frogsplash for the win.

Winner: Rob Van Dam

- Still to come, Cena will pick his SummerSlam opponent. Back to commercial.

- Back from the break and the WWE roster is out on the stage. The music hits and out comes WWE Champion John Cena. Cena walks through the group of Superstars and makes his way to the ring.

Cena takes the mic and says it’s time to find out who he chose. But he can’t do that because he hasn’t made his decision yet. Cena says he has been listening to Superstars all night, talk about why they should get the title shot. Cena says he’s left out the most important voice – the WWE Universe. Cena asks the fans for help and a Daniel Bryan chant starts up. Cena starts naming names for fan reactions. Fans boo Heath Slater and any of the 3MB members, they cheer for Randy Orton, somewhat cheer for The Great Khali, boo Alberto Del Rio, cheer Chris Jericho, cheer Rob Van Dam, somewhat boo Fandango, somewhat boo Sheamus. Cena pokes fun at Ryback and the fans boo him. Cena asks the fans if there’s anyone he’s forgetting and a “yes!” chant breaks out. Cena says he’s made his decision and thanks the fans. Cena says this person deserves the opportunity. Fans start chanting Bryan’s name. Cena says he respects the beard and goes on talking about the opponent he’s chosen. Cena selects Daniel Bryan. Bryan’s music hits and he comes out to a huge pop. Bryan and the fans chant “yes” non-stop. Bryan gets in Cena’s face and chants “yes!” before celebrating some more. Michael Cole calls Bryan the hottest WWE Superstar today. RAW goes off the air with Bryan and fans chanting.